action potential

action potential

n.

A momentary change in electrical potential on the surface of a nerve or muscle cell that takes place when it is stimulated, especially by the transmission of a nerve impulse: Stimulating a nerve fiber causes an action potential to spread across the nerve cell, making it contract.

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action potential  (kshn)

A momentary change in electrical potential on the surface of a neuron or muscle cell. Nerve impulses are action potentials. They either stimulate a change in polarity in another neuron or cause a muscle cell to contract.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

action potential - the local voltage change across the cell wall as a nerve impulse is transmitted nerve impulse, nervous impulse, neural impulse, impulse - the electrical discharge that travels along a nerve fiber; "they demonstrated the transmission of impulses from the cortex to the hypothalamus"